03-13-2010, 11:15 PM
[cool][#0000ff]Nice shad pattern. If I was a wiper I would eat it.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Cats will hit shad patterns too. In the clear waters of Willard, with shad being the main forage species for all predator species, they get munched by everything. I have had cats come off the bottom in 20 feet of water to hit a shallow running plastic or crankbait. Those who troll lures at mach 10 for wipers catch lots of hyper kitties too.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]For cats in Willard, on a flyrod, a plain old black wooly bugger is about as good as it gets. Of course white or chartreuse both work too...depending upon time of year, water clarity, water temps, etc.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I once won a bet with some bozo who did not believe that I had been catching cats on my fly rod as I was putting my tube back in my vehicle. I bet him $20 that I could catch at least 10 cats per hour on the fly I still had attached to my rod. He walked out on the rock dike with a couple of other guys to watch me. By the time I had caught 7 or 8 cats in only about 20 minutes I looked up to see him disappearing down the dike. I did not collect.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]High water is the key. The higher the lake level the cleaner the water remains even after a "blow". The clean water is vital to allowing the cats to see well enough to come after a fly. Timing is important too. The best fishing in and around the rocks and stickups in in May and June, when the fish are setting up housekeeping in those areas. But, once the cats come into the rocks to spawn they also stay close for feeding on crawdads, shad and even their own fry. That is why the black buggers work so well once the spawn is over.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Cats will hit shad patterns too. In the clear waters of Willard, with shad being the main forage species for all predator species, they get munched by everything. I have had cats come off the bottom in 20 feet of water to hit a shallow running plastic or crankbait. Those who troll lures at mach 10 for wipers catch lots of hyper kitties too.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]For cats in Willard, on a flyrod, a plain old black wooly bugger is about as good as it gets. Of course white or chartreuse both work too...depending upon time of year, water clarity, water temps, etc.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I once won a bet with some bozo who did not believe that I had been catching cats on my fly rod as I was putting my tube back in my vehicle. I bet him $20 that I could catch at least 10 cats per hour on the fly I still had attached to my rod. He walked out on the rock dike with a couple of other guys to watch me. By the time I had caught 7 or 8 cats in only about 20 minutes I looked up to see him disappearing down the dike. I did not collect.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]High water is the key. The higher the lake level the cleaner the water remains even after a "blow". The clean water is vital to allowing the cats to see well enough to come after a fly. Timing is important too. The best fishing in and around the rocks and stickups in in May and June, when the fish are setting up housekeeping in those areas. But, once the cats come into the rocks to spawn they also stay close for feeding on crawdads, shad and even their own fry. That is why the black buggers work so well once the spawn is over.[/#0000ff]
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